Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has conquered the basketball world. The Oklahoma City Thunder superstar captured an NBA championship, Finals MVP, and NBA MVP award all in one historic 2024-25 season. But when it comes to trading his sneakers for cleats, the 27-year-old draws a hard line in the turf.
Can Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Ever Make the Jump to the NFL?
During his appearance on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” the host couldn’t resist asking Gilgeous-Alexander about a potential NFL career switch.
Gilgeous-Alexander shut down the idea immediately, saying: “No chance, no chance…I wouldn’t disrespect them like that, nah.”
When Fallon pressed him again, the Thunder star stood firm with his reasoning:
Gilgeous-Alexander: “Just like how they can’t come on the basketball court, I can’t go on the football field.”
Fallon: “You can’t go on there.”
Gilgeous-Alexander: “Just stay in our lanes.”
The three-time NBA All-Star revealed his brief football history when Fallon asked about his playing experience. “I did a little bit, yeah. I quit very quickly…I– like, I played running back, so I got hit a lot. And I, like, fell on the ball when I got tackled a couple times.”
Things got interesting when Fallon surprised everyone by pulling out a photo of young Gilgeous-Alexander in his football gear. The Thunder star laughed and playfully asked Fallon not to show it to the studio audience.
His football career ended quickly for a simple reason: getting the wind knocked out of him. “I fell on the football and got the wind knocked out of me. And I didn’t like that at all, so I quit right away,” Gilgeous-Alexander explained.
Later in the same interview, Fallon asked if Gilgeous-Alexander ever imagined achieving all his accolades in a single season. The NBA star remained humble in his response, calling the experience ‘amazing.’
How Did Gilgeous-Alexander Get His Closest Taste of Football Action?
While Gilgeous-Alexander may never play in the NFL, he does have a connection to Canadian football. Following his NBA championship victory, the Hamilton native was honored at an August 2025 CFL game between the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and B.C. Lions.
Returning to the Hamilton stadium as a champion, Gilgeous-Alexander was honored by starting the second quarter of the game.
QBShai has a nice ring to it. 🏈@NBA | @NBACanada@Ticats | @okcthunder pic.twitter.com/Iwsy34TLe6
— CFL (@CFL) August 7, 2025
During his CFL interview, Gilgeous-Alexander revealed that if he did play football, he’d want to be a quarterback. True to form, he repeated his stance from the Fallon show, making it clear that he doesn’t enjoy getting hit on the field.
Now months removed from his championship celebration, Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder are preparing for another NBA campaign. While other teams are building their rosters for a title run, the reigning MVP and his Thunder squad have their sights set on a potential repeat championship.
